An Illinois player, primarily a defender and defensive midfielder, who starred in Chicago-area teams and U.S. national teams at several levels in the 1950s and ’60s, including serving as captain of the U.S. men’s national team.
Bachmeier, who was born in Romania, played for many years in the National Soccer League of Chicago, mainly for Chicago Kickers, which he led to the National Amateur Cup title in 1966, 1968 and 1970. He played as an amateur for the Chicago Mustangs in the inaugural season of the North American Soccer League, 1968. He played 29 games for the Mustangs that year and scored five goals, despite not being primarily an attacking player.
Bachmeier played for the United States for the first time against England in 1959 and for the last time against Haiti in 1969. He played a total of 22 full international games for the United States, including nine games in the qualifying rounds of the 1966 and 1970 World Cups. In the 1970 qualifiers, which were played in 1968 and 1969, he was captain of the United Stats team for all six of its games. He also played in the 1963 Pan-American Games and the qualifying rounds of the 1964 Olympic Games.
Inducted in 2002.
